Going to Extremes
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Profit and Politics How Public Lands Fare in State Hands a Special Report November 27, 2017 | $5 | Vol
High Country ForN people whoews care about the West Profit and Politics How public lands fare in state hands A Special Report November 27, 2017 | $5 | Vol. 49 No. 20 | www.hcn.org 49 No. | $5 Vol. 2017 27, November CONTENTS Editor’s note Land’s true worth One of the planks in the Republican platform calls for the transfer of an undisclosed number of acres of federal public lands to Western states. This land transfer, the party argues, would benefit states “and the nation as a whole,” because “residents of state and local communities know best how to protect the land where they work and live.” It is unclear how the transfer of public lands would benefit the entire country, but it seems to me that such a transfer on any scale would change the character of the American West. Given that, and given that the GOP holds the Oval Office and both chambers of Congress, the so-called “land-transfer movement” is worthy The not-so-grand entrance to Little Missouri State Park in North Dakota, where a saltwater disposal facility of a hard look. Over the last nine months, this is a sign of the oil wells that can be seen within the park. ANDREW CULLEN magazine set out to learn what it could about how states treat the lands they already have, in SPECIAL REPORT: Profit and Politics order to see whether the public would benefit from a transfer. Writer and former HCN intern Emily Guerin went to North Dakota to see what 16 Pump Jack Park How the Bakken boom transformed happens to state and federal parks under an oil On the cover one of North Dakota’s most special landscapes By Emily Guerin boom, while Contributing Editor Cally Carswell A well pad complex is constructed 20 Plant Blind in New Mexico Politics, land ownership investigated how rare plants are treated on just outside Little and the protection of imperiled plants By Cally Carswell different lands in New Mexico. -
A Guide to Oregon's Patriot Movement
Executive Summary UP IN ARMS: A GUIDE TO OREGON’S PATRIOT MOVEMENT hile the news media focuses on As Spencer Sunshine, PhD and Associate Fel- the prosecution of Patriot movement low at Political Research Associates, documents Wmembers who occupied the Malheur in the guide’s opening study, the Oregon Patriot National Wildlife Refuge outside of Burns, Ore- movement engages in the same political culture gon, in early 2016, Oregonians across the state of violence as the national movement, including continue to deal with the resurgence of armed armed occupations, protests, camps, and march- and aggressive right-wing activists in their es—as well as threats against elected officials, midst. Most of the Malheur occupiers were from community activists, employees of federal agen- out-of-state, but Oregon’s own Patriot movement cies handling public lands, and critics. Press con- laid the groundwork for the occupation, and its ferences, demonstrations, and meetings critical leaders went to Burns to politically profit from of the movement have been disrupted. Those who the confrontation with government authorities speak out against the movement have had their and expand their power at home. home addresses distributed in Patriot movement Up In Arms: A Guide to Oregon’s Patriot Move- circles, were threatened with assault and murder, ment offers a short study of the Patriot movement and have had their vehicles vandalized. and the economic challenges in which it thrives, This political culture of violence creates a chill- along with practical examples of how groups of ing effect on political speech and democratic par- rural Oregonians have successfully challenged it. -